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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.23 star rating.

Home Style Macaroni and Cheese

Reviewed: Nov. 23, 2008
I am giving this recipe 5 stars because it is a good easy base to make it your own. I doubled the recipe exactly to accommodate 1 box of Dreamfields macaroni and it was not dry at all. I did use whole milk and a blend of mild and sharp cheddars, as well as an Italian cheese mix (mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan). In addition to the teaspoons of seasonings recommended, I also added another teaspoon of garlic powder and sea salt. My only complaint is the flour...seems like I couldn't cook the flour flavor out of the sauce even though I made sure the butter/flour was cooked and bubbling for several minutes...next time I will half it. I also omitted the breadcrumbs.
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2 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.72 star rating.

Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker

Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2006
This recipe is good, but it didn't really taste like the kalua pig / pork that I had in Hawaii. It's missing a couple dimensions of flavor, although I am not 100% sure what that is...I know a lot recipes call for banana leaves, so I wonder if that's it? Anyway, the liquid smoked helped a little, but it wasn't a cureall. Don't get me wrong, the pork tasted good, but it needed "something." Also, I did not cook it for 16 to 20 hours...that would be waaaaaay overcooked and probably dry out the meat. I cooked it on high for 2 hours to get the juices going and then on low for 4 more hours and the meat was falling off the bone tender. (Yes, meat will dry out regardless of whether it's swimming in juices or not when it's overcooked...the meat will lose its ability to hold moisture and you'll have jerky!)
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5 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.51 star rating.

Vegetable Beef Soup II

Reviewed: Apr. 8, 2006
I did make a bunch of changes to this soup, but it made for a really good basic recipe that you can add/change to your liking. First, when I was sauteing the beef and onions, I also added 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic towards the end for extra flavor. I did not drain the oils because I used fairly lean beef and there wasn't much in there and the fat also adds flavor to the soup. Then I used 5 cans of low sodium beef broth instead of water, but I did keep the use of the boullion cubes for an extra kick because I did add some extra ingredients. I added 2 sliced italian zucchini squash, 3/4 cups frozen corn kernels, 3/4 cups barley, and a pinch of ground pepper to the recipe. It came out really great with deep flavors and everyone loved it.
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54 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 3 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.

Butternut Squash Soup II

Reviewed: Mar. 29, 2006
I think I really missed the cream in this soup. I thought it was a little bland and not rich enough. I think this might be better served as a gazpacho (just served cold on a hot summer day) because the flavors are so muted.
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1 user found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 1 stars. This recipe averages a 3.67 star rating.

Deep Fried Spinach

Reviewed: Sep. 19, 2005
I rarely give bad reviews, but this one is absolutely terrible. I love spinach...raw and cooked/wilted. But this just tasted like paper with a funky aftertaste. I will not be doing this again.
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0 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.55 star rating.

Artichoke Spread

Reviewed: May 23, 2005
This recipe is super! However, instead of making a spread, I used this to make artichoke dip for tortilla chips and Italian bread. In doing so, I skipped the food processor and coarse chopped the artichoke hearts by hand and used a garlic press for the garlic...it was fairly simple...took a whole 5 minutes extra. Then I mixed the ingredients together right in the baking dish. I also used marinated artichoke hearts since the recipe did not specify and it turned out great. I did change the oven temperature to 350 and baked for 20 minutes because I wanted a slower cooking to help the flavors mingle together. It turned out very flavorful and creamy...not greasy at all. Great recipe! P.S. I used FRESH grated parmesan cheese...not the salt licks in a green can!
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13 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.63 star rating.

Manicotti with Cheese

Reviewed: May 21, 2005
Wow, this manicotti is super! I did not boil the manicotti because it breaks too easily. Filling them while they are raw is fine...just make sure the manicotti "rests" in the sauce for at least a few hours before cooking so it absorbs some of the moisture from the sauce. I followed ingredients almost exactly, except I added a large can of crushed tomatoes in addition to the spaghetti sauce and I added a teaspoon of garlic salt and a dash of italian seasoning to the cheese mixture. Adding a can of crushed tomatoes gives it more of a homemade taste and more moisture because Prego / Ragu tends to tast a little processed. Adding the garlic salt and italian seasoning gave the cheese more flavor. Anyway, it came out great! Very creamy and flavorful. I also made sure to use good quality fresh grated Parmesan...none of that green can stuff! Definitely a keeper! P.S. I would NOT recommend adding an egg to the mixture...unless you want ricotta cheese that has scrambled egg consistancy! This mixture stays together fine without it, so don't add it!!!
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53 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.26 star rating.

Hollandaise Sauce

Reviewed: Feb. 16, 2005
This recipe is super! The hollandaise thicken up nicely with very little effort. I took everyone's advice and only used 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and it was perfect! I also altered the recipe a little tiny bit to accomodate the ingredients that I had on hand...I only used 3 yolks because we had extra large eggs and used 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter because 1 cup seemed a bit much. I also added a pinch of paprika to give it a little zing. Tasted great with my sauteed asparagus and mushrooms!
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21 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.51 star rating.

Fettuccine Alfredo V

Reviewed: Feb. 16, 2005
This recipe is great! Definitely a keeper because it is rich, creamy, and has a good flavor. It also does not separate like some other recipes that I've tried. HOWEVER, I am surprised that no one has really commented that 5 cloves of garlic is a bit too much. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE garlic, but 5 cloves??? We only used 3 cloves and it was still very strong. I can't even imagine what 5 cloves would taste like! Unless you want your sauce to be overpowered by the garlic, cut down to 2 or 3 cloves. We also used regular whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream and it turned out perfectly. NOTE: For those of you who got a lumpy sauce, don't use the Kraft parmesan that is in the green can! That stuff has been processed and will not melt correctly. You must use the stuff that is in the refrigerated cheese section of your grocery store. You can find them in wedges or preshredded bags, but it must be fresh.
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33 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.83 star rating.

Beef Tenderloin With Roasted Shallots

Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2004
I made this last year for our family Christmas dinner. It was very elegant and it was a big hit with the crowd. However, I ended up adding some extra peeled pototes to the sauce to try to thicken it up a little. (Discard the potatoes before serving.) Also, another negative was that it was very labor intensive and it didn't taste all that different from other wine-sauce recipes I've tried. All in all, I think you can get the similar results with other recipes in less time and hassle.
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2 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 3 stars. This recipe averages a 4.67 star rating.

American Lasagna

Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2004
I followed this recipe exactly. Unfortunately, I have one major complaint that affected the tastiness of the dish. OMIT THE EGGS when you do this recipe, otherwise your ricotta mixture will have a hard texture after you bake it...kinda like the consistancy of well-done scrambled eggs. Yes, yes, I know it was supposed to help the cheese mixture from running all over the place, but I'd rather suffer the consequences of a runny lasagna than to have it taste the way it did. I like my ricotta to taste creamy and rich. Instead, the two eggs made it hard and lumpy. Otherwise, the rest of the recipe is right on. So omit the eggs and it would be a 5-star recipe.
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2 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.79 star rating.

Restaurant-Style Buffalo Chicken Wings

Reviewed: May 23, 2004
Yum, yum! The flour coating and deep-frying definitely kicks this recipe onto another level! Tastes just like my favorite wings at Hooters! I love how it's crispy and tender. This is a SURE WINNER at parties and get-togethers...everyone always asks for more and is pretty easy to make too. Goodness, this recipe is just delicious. There is nothing that I would change about this recipe.
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6 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 3.89 star rating.

Elegant Chicken

Reviewed: May 21, 2004
This is a super easy chicken dish that is perfect for dinner any night. The salty chipped beef and bacon helped accent the chicken flavor really well. It is a great way to dress up baked chicken. The sauce goes very well over noodles or rice too!
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5 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.43 star rating.

Breaded Brussels Sprouts

Reviewed: May 21, 2004
I usually don't consider brussel sprouts my favorite vegetable because they have a bitter flavor and after-taste. However, I decided to give this receipe a try due to the previous reviews. I have to admit, it really dresses up the sprouts and improves the flavor! The crumb topping is really yummy and masks the bitter taste. Great recipe and even my picky husband liked it! If you have kids, this is a great way to get them to eat veggies that they normally don't like. As for the the previous reviewer CHADERINKAIA who said, "would not reccomend, unless you are absolutely a brussel sprout fan" ... I think that's a given. No matter how much you dress up a food, it's still going to have some of its original flavor. If you hate brussel sprouts, don't make this dish because it'll still taste like brussel sprouts! Duh! It doesn't matter how much merlot wine sauce you put on dog food, it will still taste like dog food.
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52 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.73 star rating.

Cream Cheese Frosting II

Reviewed: May 21, 2004
Oh my goodness, this is a simple and yummy recipe and only took 15 minutes in my mixer. Make sure you start with room tempurature or softened butter and cream cheese. It will make your life a million times easier. I also followed the advice of the previous reviewers and added an extra 1 cup of sifted confectioners sugar because we like our frosting sweet. I also doubled the vanilla extract for a more intense flavor. I had no problems with the consistancy whatsoever. Since my husband likes the white frosting and I like chocolate, this batch made enough so I could divide it up into 2 separate batches. I just took out 1/2 of the batch and set it aside. Then I added 1/3 cup of pure cocoa powder (not hot chocolate mix) to the remaining batch and mixed it some more. We each frosted our own 1-layer 9" separate cakes and it was delicious both ways! If you only have 1 cake, you might want to reduce the recipe by half. Enjoy!
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491 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.

Grilled Marinated Swordfish

Reviewed: Jun. 26, 2003
The flavors on this swordfish did not really come through even after soaking in the ingredients. I think there might have been too many ingredients competing to flavor the fish and ended up not doing much for the fish at all. Honestly, the swordfish tasted better when I just seasoned it with plain garlic salt alone.
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3 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.54 star rating.

French Toast I

Reviewed: Jun. 26, 2003
I used fresh French bread with this recipe. It came out quite good. I added a little bit of sugar to the recipe to give it a little sweetness and I topped it off with powdered sugar! Yum.
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2 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.11 star rating.

Garlic Pasta with Prawns

Reviewed: Jun. 26, 2003
Oh my goodness! This is the easiest and tastiest shrimp scampi type pasta I've ever had! I cannot believe how little effort this elegant dish took! I only changed a few things about this recipe: 1) I used a gourmet garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil instead of grilling the garlic in oil. 2) Also 6 tablespoons seems a bit much...that's more than 1/3 cup of oil for pasta for 2 people. I reduced to 4 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup) for the amount of pasta suggested and it came out great. 3) I added the drained pasta directly to the sauting shrimp in the large skillet. (You have to have a very large skillet...which I did.) And 4) You should taste the pasta after you mixed it with the oil. I found that I needed to add a little bit (1 teaspoon or so) of garlic salt to kick up the flavor. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
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30 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.75 star rating.

Grilled Salmon I

Reviewed: Jun. 19, 2003
When I try a new recipe, I usually have to tweek at least one thing with it to make it work right. I am happy to say that I didn't have to change a single thing with this recipe and everything is delicious! I'm going to try this marinade with chicken next...
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4 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.42 star rating.

Buttery Cooked Carrots

Reviewed: Jun. 6, 2003
What can I say? Simple and delicious! Here is a tip to make the sauce less runny... I did NOT leave any water in the pan when melting the butter with the brown sugar. This makes for a thicker sauce and when you add your carrots back in the pan, it's perfect!
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181 users found this review helpful

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